Safety pill containers

ABSTRACT

An improved safety pill container for the protection of children and others from obtaining easy access to medicinal items such as pills, capsules and the like whereby to prevent the ingestion of harmful and sometimes fatal medicines, either capriciously or accidentally.

United States Patent 1191 Lewis Oct. 14, 1975 SAFETY PILL CONTAINERS 3,844,407 10/1974 Buie 206/l.5

[76] lnventor: Gerald F. Lewis, 1850 Columbia,

,Berkley Mlch' 48072 Primary Examiner-George T. Hall [22] Filed: Sept. 3, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 502,801

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 206/1.5; 206/540; 206/807;

215/223; 215/224; 220/8 An improved safety pill container for the protection of [51] Int. Cl. A45C 13/10; A45C 13/18 children and others from obtaining easy access to me- [58] Field of Search 2 06/l.5, 540, 530, 807; dicinal items such as pills, capsules and the like 215/9, 223, 224; 220/8 whereby to prevent the ingestion of harmful and sometimes fatal medicines, either capriciously or acci- [56] References Cited dentally.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,828,961 8 1974 Lewis 215 223 8 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet 1 of 2 3,912,73

US. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,912,073

SAFETY PILL CONTAINERS The safety pill container of the instant invention comprises an open top closed bottom pill container element which may be manually axially inserted and removably locked into a sleeve element having a manually turnable cap element turnably mounted in axially movable relationship thereon; the said turnable cap element having an inner disc which is press-fit into the said cap element with both the upper surface and outer periphery thereof disposed in firm juxtaposition with the inner top and the inner periphery of the said cap element.

An important advantage of the safety pill container of the instant invention is attained by preferably forming both the inner pill container and the inner disc of the turnable cap of polyethelene. In the instant construction, a substantial moisture barrier and moisture seal is thus provided when the safety pill container with medicine such as pills, capsules or the like therein is sealed between the top of the inner pill container and the inner disc of the turnable cap when the safety pill container is in its fully closed position.

The open ended outer tubular sleeve and the turnable cap element are preferably formed of a relatively stiff plastic such as styrene or the like which must be sufficiently stiff or the desired results cannot be accomplished.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention is directed to providing an improved safety pill container consisting of an open-top closed-bottom tubular pill container element, a tubular sleeve element, and a cap element turnably and axially movably mounted on said sleeve element. The said cap element is provided with an inner disc which is press-fit into the said cap element with both the upper surface and the outer periphery thereof disposed in juxtaposition with the inner top and inner periphery respectively of the said cap element.

The open-top closed-bottom tubular pill container element is preferably formed of polyethelene or the like which is a desirable moisture barrier, and functions well to preserve pills, capsules and other medicaments over considerable periods of time when the pill container is maintained closed, except for intermittent opening and closing the same as required to remove medicaments therefrom. The other elements of the safety pill container such as the tubular sleeve element and the cap element are preferably formed of styrene, plexiglass or the like whereby to provide the necessary degree of rigidity thereto.

The. sleeve element has an inner annular anchorage bead formed around the inner periphery thereof. The outer periphery of the pill container element has a plurality of nibs formed around the outer periphery thereof. The said inner annular anchorage bead within the sleeve element and the said nibs extending outwardly from the outer periphery of the pill container element are so located with respect to each other that, when the pill container element is manually telescoped axially into the bottom of the said sleeve element with the open top of the pill container element disposed firmly against the inner surface of the bottom of the disc element pressed fit into the inner top of the said cap element, the said pill container is in its closed position and is removably locked within the said sleeve element.

The said inner disc of the cap element is provided with a circular depending central collar over the outer periphery of which the upper open end of the tubular pill container element is firmly telescoped when the safety pill container is in its closed position, thus assuring that the pill container element is sealed with respect to the said inner disc of the cap element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a safety pill container embodying the instant invention,

FIG. 2 is a top elevational view,

FIG. 3 is a bottom elevational view,

FIG. 4 is a somewhat enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 5 looking in the di rection of the arrows showing a preferred location of uniformly spirally spaced wells formed in the top of the upper annular shoulder of the sleeve element and the location of spirally spaced vertically disposed tabs depending from the bottom of the disc element which is pressed fit into the turnable cap element in juxtaposition with the inner top of said cap element, which tabs are shown out of alignment with respect to the said spirally spaced wells.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4 showing the safety pill container in its closed and unlocked position with the upper annular edge of the pill container element disposed in its closed and locked position with the upper annular edge portion telescoped over the outer periphery of the annular depending central ring of thecap element and with its upper annular edge disposed in contact with the said central ring of the cap element.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 7 showing the cap element in its turned position wherein the depending tabs of the inner disc of the cap element are aligned with the spirally spaced wells in the top of the upper annular shoulder of the sleeve element.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 7 7 of FIG. 6 showing the cap element when manually turned to align the depending tabs of the inner disc of the cap element with the wells formed in the top of the upper annular shoulder of the sleeve element.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 7 except that the cap element has been pressed downwardly with respect to the sleeve element into a position for manually freeing the pill container element from the sleeve element, thereby permitting the pill container element to be manually withdrawn from the said sleeve container element.

FIG. 9 is an exploded vertical sectional view showing the cap element, the cap disc, the sleeve element, and the pill container element together with a showing of the relative locations of the continuous anchor rib disposed around the inner periphery of the sleeve element, and the anchor nibs disposed in spaced relationship around the outer periphery of the pill container element.

FIG. 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the location of the three nibs extending downwardly from the inner surface of the inner disc el- DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The particular improved safety pill container 200 of I the instant invention disclosed in the drawings preferably comprises four plastic elements; namely, a tubular pill container element 10, a sleeve element 20, and a turnable and axially movable cap element 30 having an inner disc 300 pressed fit thereinto with both the upper surface 301 and the outer periphery 302 of the said inner disc 300 disposed in firm, non-turnable juxtaposition with the inner top and the inner periphery respectively of the said turnable and axially movable cap element 30. The outer periphery 302 of the inner disc 300 of the cap element 30 is preferably provided with three equally spaced arcuate vent grooves 3020 therearound to readily permit the pressed fit of the inner disc 300 into the cap element 30.

The sleeve element is formed to telescope relatively freely over the said pill container element 10, and includes an outer integral peripheral upper shoulder 21 located at the top thereof. The cap element has a flat circular top 31 and a depending circumferential wall 32. The said cap element 30 is axially and turnably mounted on said sleeve element 20 over the outer peripheral shoulder 21 thereof with the inner face 310 of the inner disc 300 of the said cap element 30 spaced above the said outer peripheral upper shoulder 21 with the inner face 310 of the top 31 of the said cap element 30 disposed as best shown in FIGS. 5, 7 and 8.

The inner lower end portion of the depending circumferential wall 32 of the cap element 30 is formed to provide a suitable inwardly disposed lower circumferential rib 320 which is snapped over the outer peripheral upper shoulder 21 of the sleeve element 20 whereby to retain the said cap element 30 in manually turnable and limited axially movable relationship with respect to the said outer peripheral shoulder 21 of the said sleeve element 20.

The top of the outer integral peripheral upper shoulder 21 of the sleeve element 20 has a plurality, preferably three, uniformly spaced spirally located wells 22 formed therein which accommodate a like plurality of uniformly spaced spirally located tabs 33 preferably formed integral with and depending vertically from the bottom inner face 310 of the flat circular inner disc 300 fixed to the bottom 301 of the flat circular top 31 of the cap element 30.

The said tabs 33 are sized and located so that they will telescope relatively freely into the said spirally spaced vertical wells 22 formed in the top of the shoulder 21 of the sleeve element 20 when the cap element 30 is turned manually to a position wherein all of the said tabs 33 depending from the said bottom inner face 310 ofinner disc 300 fixed to the bottom of the said flat circular top 31 of the cap element 30 become aligned with and enter the said vertical wells 22 in the top of the said shoulder 21 of the sleeve element 30 when manual pressure is applied axially against the top of said cap element 30 as it is turned while the safety pill container is held by manually gripping it by its sleeve element 20.

The inner periphery of the sleeve element 20 is provided with a continuous inner rib 23 formed therearound preferably located just below the level of the bottom of the outer peripheral shoulder 21 thereof. The outer periphery of the tubular pill container element 10 is preferably provided with a plurality of, preferably three, outwardly extending preferably equally spaced nibs l3 therearound located at a distance below the open top 11 of said pill container element 10 so that when the top peripheral edge of the open top of the said pill container element 10 abuts the inner face 310 of the inner disc 300 of the cap element 30 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the said nibs 13 of the tubular pill container element 10 are disposed above and in contact with the sleeve element 20, whereby to releasably hold the top peripheral edge 100 of said pill container element 10 in its closed position against the inner face 310 of the said inner disc 300 of the cap element 30, as best shown in FIGS. 5 and 7.

The outer lower periphery of the depending central circular sleeve 40 formed integral with and depending centrally from the inner face 310 of the inner disc 300 of the cap element 30 is peripherally beveled at 401 as best shown in FIGS. 5, 7 and 8 to guide the upper open end 100 of the circular sleeve element 10 firmly over and in juxtaposition with the said depending central circular sleeve 40 when the tubular pill container element 10 is manually pressed axially onto the said depending circular sleeve 40 as best shown in FIGS. 5, 7 and 8, with the outer annular peripheral end 100 of the tubular pill container element 10 positioned firmly against the said inner face 310 of the bottom of the inner disc of the cap element 30.

Reference is now made to FIG. 8 wherein it is obvious that the turnable cap element 30 has been manually pressed downwardly with respect to the sleeve element 20. This can be accomplished only when the cap element 30 has been turned so that the tabs 33 depending from the inner disc 300 of the said cap element 30 have been aligned with the wells 22 formed in the top of the upper annular shoulder 21 of the sleeve element 20 as shown in FIG. 6.

This position of the cap element 30 with respect to the wells 22 of the sleeve element 20 is the only position in which the tubular pill container element 10 may be removed from the sleeve element 20, and then only when the sleeve element 20 is gripped and firmly held vertically by one hand while the lower end portion of the tubular pill container element 10 is pulled axially downwardly from the bottom of the sleeve element 20 by the fingers of the other hand.

By firmly gripping the sleeve element 20 of the safety pill container 200 with its cap side up, and then manually pulling the pill container element 10 downwardly from the sleeve element 20 while holding the sleeve element 20 in an upright position, no pills or medicaments will fall accidentally from the pill container element 10.

For convenience in returning the tubular pill container element 10 in anchored relationship within the sleeve element 20, the tabs 33 depending from the inner disc 300 of the cap element 30 need not necessarily be aligned with the wells 22 formed in the top of the circular shoulder 21 of the said sleeve element 20.

It is obvious that, no matter to what position the cap element 30 may have been turned with respect to the sleeve element 20, the said tubular pill container element 10 may be telescopingly manually returned into the open bottom of the sleeve element 20, and, by manually gripping the said sleeve element 20 in one hand,

the bottom of the said tubular pill container element may be manually pushed upwardly from its unlocked position shown in FIG. 8 and snapped into its locked position shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 with the bottom of the sleeve element disposed firmly against the lower inner face 310 of the inner disc 300 of the cap element 30 with the equally spaced outer nibs 13 of the tubular pill container element 10 disposed upwardly past the continuous inner rib of the said sleeve element 20.

Although but a single embodiment of the improved safety pill container of the instant invention has been disclosed and claimed herein, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, arrangement and detail of the several elements thereof, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety pill container comprising a. a tubular pill container element having an open top and a closed bottom including a plurality of outwardly disposed nibs spaced around the outer periphery thereof,

b. a sleeve element formed to telescopingly receive said tubular pill container element having an integral outer shoulder formed around the upper outer periphery thereof with a plurality of spaced wells formed in the top of said shoulder and having an inner continuous rib formed around the inner periphery thereof,

. a cap element mounted in turnable and limited axially movable relationship on said sleeve element disposed over the outer shoulder of said sleeve element,

. an inner disc pressed fit into said cap element with both the upper surface and outer periphery thereof disposed in firm non-turnable relationship with respect to the inner top and inner periphery of said turnable and axially movable cap element,

e. the inner disc of said cap element having a plurality of depending tabs extending downwardly therefrom registerable with the plurality of wells formed in the top of the outer peripheral shoulder of said sleeve element,

. the central portion of said inner disc of said cap element having a central annular collar depending therefrom formed to accommodate and receive neatly thereover the upper open end of said pill container element with the annular top thereof disposed in abutment with the said inner disc of said cap element,

g. the said tubular pill container element being locked within the said sleeve element when pushed upwardly therein from the bottom thereof while manually holding the said sleeve element into a firm position until the nibs of said pill container element snap to a position above the inner continuous annular rib of said sleeve element and the said cap element is turned so that the depending tabs of the cap element are out of alignment with the wells in the top of said sleeve element, and

h. the said tubular pill container element becoming unlocked with respect to the said sleeve element responsive to said cap element being turned so that the depending tabs thereof are positioned in alignment with the wells formed in the top of said sleeve element and the said cap element is pressed axially downwardly with respect to the sleeve element, whereupon said nibs of said pill container element snap below the inner continuous annular rib of said sleeve element and said pill container element becomes free to be manually withdrawn downwardly from said sleeve element.

2. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least two or more spaced tabs depend from said cap element and a like number of spaced wells are formed in the top of the shoulder of said sleeve element.

3. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tabs and wells are arranged in other than circular alignment with respect to each other.

4. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tabs and wells are arranged in evenly spaced spiral aignment with respect to each other.

5. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upper peripheral edge of the open top closed bottom tubular pill container is maintained in abutment against the inner bottom of the inner disc of the cap element when the nibs of the said pill container element are snapped above the continuous annular rib within said sleeve element.

6. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the nibs on the said pill container element are so located with respect to the annular rib within the said sleeve element that they remain in juxtaposition after the said pill container element is pressed into said sleeve element with said nibs snapped over said rib and the upper peripheral edge of said pill container element is positioned against the lower surface of the inner disc of the top of said cap.

7. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein a. the tubular pill container element and the inner disc of the turnable cap are each formed of polyethelene or the like, and

b. the open-ended outer tubular sleeve and the turnable cap element are formed of styrene or the like.

8. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein a. the turnable pill container element and the inner disc of the turnable cap are formed of a pliable plastic material having a medium resiliency, and

b. the open-ended outer tubular sleeve element and the turnable cap element are formed of a plastic material having a relatively high non-deflecting reaction responsive to pressure applied thereto. =1: l= 

1. A safety pill container comprising a. a tubular pill container element having an open top and a closed bottom including a plurality of outwardly disposed nibs spaced around the outer periphery thereof, b. a sleeve element formed to telescopingly receive said tubular pill container element having an integral outer shoulder formed around the upper outer periphery thereof with a plurality of spaced wells formed in the top of said shoulder and having an inner continuous rib formed around the inner periphery thereof, c. a cap element mounted in turnable and limited axially movable relationship on said sleeve element disposed over the outer shoulder of said sleeve element, d. an inner disc pressed fit into said cap element with both the upper surface and outer periphery thereof disposed in firm nonturnable relationship with respect to the inner top and inner periphery of said turnable and axially movable cap elEment, e. the inner disc of said cap element having a plurality of depending tabs extending downwardly therefrom registerable with the plurality of wells formed in the top of the outer peripheral shoulder of said sleeve element, f. the central portion of said inner disc of said cap element having a central annular collar depending therefrom formed to accommodate and receive neatly thereover the upper open end of said pill container element with the annular top thereof disposed in abutment with the said inner disc of said cap element, g. the said tubular pill container element being locked within the said sleeve element when pushed upwardly therein from the bottom thereof while manually holding the said sleeve element into a firm position until the nibs of said pill container element snap to a position above the inner continuous annular rib of said sleeve element and the said cap element is turned so that the depending tabs of the cap element are out of alignment with the wells in the top of said sleeve element, and h. the said tubular pill container element becoming unlocked with respect to the said sleeve element responsive to said cap element being turned so that the depending tabs thereof are positioned in alignment with the wells formed in the top of said sleeve element and the said cap element is pressed axially downwardly with respect to the sleeve element, whereupon said nibs of said pill container element snap below the inner continuous annular rib of said sleeve element and said pill container element becomes free to be manually withdrawn downwardly from said sleeve element.
 2. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least two or more spaced tabs depend from said cap element and a like number of spaced wells are formed in the top of the shoulder of said sleeve element.
 3. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tabs and wells are arranged in other than circular alignment with respect to each other.
 4. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tabs and wells are arranged in evenly spaced spiral aignment with respect to each other.
 5. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upper peripheral edge of the open top closed bottom tubular pill container is maintained in abutment against the inner bottom of the inner disc of the cap element when the nibs of the said pill container element are snapped above the continuous annular rib within said sleeve element.
 6. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the nibs on the said pill container element are so located with respect to the annular rib within the said sleeve element that they remain in juxtaposition after the said pill container element is pressed into said sleeve element with said nibs snapped over said rib and the upper peripheral edge of said pill container element is positioned against the lower surface of the inner disc of the top of said cap.
 7. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein a. the tubular pill container element and the inner disc of the turnable cap are each formed of polyethelene or the like, and b. the open-ended outer tubular sleeve and the turnable cap element are formed of styrene or the like.
 8. A safety pill container as claimed in claim 1 wherein a. the turnable pill container element and the inner disc of the turnable cap are formed of a pliable plastic material having a medium resiliency, and b. the open-ended outer tubular sleeve element and the turnable cap element are formed of a plastic material having a relatively high non-deflecting reaction responsive to pressure applied thereto. 